Yisrael Beiteinu Files Supreme Court Petition Against New Military Service Exemption Law

Yisrael Beiteinu, led by MK Avigdor Lieberman, submitted a petition to the Israeli Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging Amendment 26 to the Security Service Law, which they label the "Immunity Law for Draft Dodgers." The petition requests the court to annul the law and issue an interim injunction preventing its enforcement until a final ruling is made. The petition was filed by faction chairman MK Oded Forer and attorney Eitan Haberman.

The petitioners argue that the law does not merely address deferments or the status of yeshiva students but effectively grants immunity from arrest and criminal proceedings to those who fail to enlist in the military. They claim the law severely undermines the principles of equality, the rule of law, and judicial independence, especially at a time when mandatory and reserve soldiers bear a heavy security burden. The petition also asserts that the law creates discriminatory enforcement of military service obligations among different population groups.

MK Avigdor Lieberman condemned the law, calling it one of the most disgraceful in Israel's history, accusing the government coalition of granting immunity to ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers while secular and national-religious individuals face arrest and imprisonment. He warned that the law harms the Israel Defense Forces, endangers national security, and divides Israeli society. MK Oded Forer echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the Chief of Staff’s clear opposition to the law proves it serves narrow political interests rather than national security. The petitioners seek a conditional order requiring the state to justify why the law should not be canceled and an interim injunction to freeze its implementation, citing potential further harm to the rule of law and equality before the law.